Forty-two US senators across party lines have urged US Trade Representative Katherine Tai (戴琪) to lay the groundwork for negotiating a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan.
In a joint letter to Tai on the eve of the 11th Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) trade talks between Taiwan and the US on Wednesday, the US senators highlighted the importance of such dialogue with Taiwan.
“We respectfully request that you prioritize these talks and take steps to begin laying the groundwork for negotiation of a free-trade agreement (FTA), or other preliminary agreement, with Taiwan,” read the letter, initiated by US senators Marco Rubio and Mark Warner.
Photo: Reuters
The letter — which Rubio posted on his Web site on Wednesday — said that beyond commerce and investment, trade talks with Taiwan are of “great strategic importance.”
“We can all be confident that an agreement negotiated with Taiwan could serve as a model for what a high-standard FTA should look like,” the senators wrote.
“It will facilitate free trade under fair conditions that allow American workers, producers and companies alike to flourish. Advanced economies such as Singapore and New Zealand have paved the way by signing their own FTAs with Taiwan,” they said.
“Maintaining US economic influence in the region and reducing Taiwan’s dependence on China is essential to ensuring that the region remains free and open,” they added.
Prominent US senators who signed the letter include Senate Minority Whip John Thune; Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Ranking Member Roger Wicker; and Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member James Inhofe.
In October last year, 50 US senators wrote to then-US trade representative Robert Lighthizer to urge the deepening of bilateral trade ties, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement yesterday, thanking the 42 senators in the new congress for also supporting the improvement of Taiwan-US trade ties.
US Senator Chris Coons, who visited Taiwan last month, was also among the people who signed the letter, Ou added.
Wednesday’s virtual TIFA meeting was fruitful and marked a major milestone in Taiwan-US trade relations, she said.
Given the US’ bipartisan support for Taiwan, the ministry would continue to work with domestic government agencies to deepen Taiwan-US trade ties, Ou said.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
DISPUTE: A Chinese official prompted a formal protest from Tokyo by saying that ‘the dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off,’ after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks Four armed China Coast Guard vessels yesterday morning sailed through disputed waters controlled by Japan, amid a diplomatic spat following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. The four ships sailed around the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) to Taiwan, and which Taiwan and China also claim — on Saturday before entering Japanese waters yesterday and left, the Japan Coast Guard said. The China Coast Guard said in a statement that it carried out a “rights enforcement patrol” through the waters and that it was a lawful operation. As of the end of last month,
RSS